Sports Injury Prevention

Sports Injury Prevention

Sports and other exercises are considered as an effective way to maintain shape and a healthy lifestyle. On the other hand it can also sometimes have adverse effects in the form of injury.

The most common sports activity that leads to injury includes:

1. Football
2. Basketball
3. Soccer
4. Netball
5. Rugby
6. And bicycling.

Activities like strength training, running, skiing etc can also lead to injuries. Research reveals that athlete who experience sports injury stays at higher risk of suffering from re-injury in the long term. This brings the concern to prefer some precautionary measures to avoid such injuries.

Follow the guidelines below to prevent injuries and get most out of your fitness program.

Drink Adequate Fluids

Dehydration disables the body to regulate the body temperature effectively, which leads to the risk of hyperthermia (overheating). It can adversely affect your performance by reducing the blood volume which in turn affects your working muscles.

Start any of your activity after getting hydrated. Drink in between the activity as well. Examine your urine colour to know if you are well hydrated or not. Ensure it is clear and colourless but not concentrated. Avoid caffeine and alcoholic drinks as it increases dehydration. For most people, water is all needed. However, if you are sporting at a high intensity for more than an hour, a sports drink may be helpful. Fruit juice can also be beneficial when diluted with water. It’ll provide carbohydrates for energy along with minerals to replace lost electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) in your sweat. In endurance events, it is most favourable to drink approximately 600 ml of fluid an hour, and this fluid must contain sugar and electrolytes.

Warm up, Stretch and Cool Down

Warming up before starting any sport activity for 10 to 15 min is always recommended to the athletes. This reduces the risk of serious injuries. Warm-up depends on how strenuous the main activity will be and can include gentle aerobic exercise, cycling or jogging, to steadily warm your muscles. It should also gradually increase in intensity until you have a slight sweat.

Ensure after warm up:

• You have increased the heart thumping,
• Your muscles and joints are loosened up,
• Muscles are stretched and,
• Your body feels warmer.

Muscle stretching promotes blood flow in the muscles that increases flexibility which reduces the chance of getting a new injury. Stretch only when your muscles are warmed-up and involve all the muscle groups to be used in your activity.

After the intense activity a gentle cool-down is necessary to reduce muscle stiffness and soreness. It also removes waste products from muscles and replaces them with nutrients and oxygen. A few minutes of low intensity exercise like jogging or cycling, followed by some sustained stretching will do the job.

Wear Right Clothing

Always wear clothing that is light and lets your sweat to evaporate freely. Choose light colours instead of dark to reflect the sun rays away from your body. Intentionally, never wear excessive clothing. It may lead your body to overheat. Sweat only cools you down when it evaporates off your body. Losing excessive body fluids can further have adverse effect on the body. Wearing loose clothing can give you the right amount of movement to perform the exercise correctly and comfortably.

For all the outdoor activities, always be prepared for protection against sun. Prefer wearing a hat and apply All Terrain AquaSport SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray that is highly effective, safe, natural, oxybenzone free sunscreen providing full spectrum UVA (skin cancer) and UVB (sunburn) protection. It is great for athletes, active people and kids who might get some in their eyes. Avoid the activities between the hottest parts of the day.

Choose the Right Shoe

Shoes are extremely important for physical activity, no matter which sport you play. Especially for high-impact exercises such as running, the correct footwear is necessary to absorb the impact and to provide adequate support for your feet. Experts at store can often advise you on the best shoes for your preferred activity. It is best recommended to use the shoes with heavy soles, support and cushioning for the curves of your feet. This is especially important in sports where knee and ankle injuries are common.

To avoid injury, use protective gear like knee and elbow pads, helmets, mouthguards, gloves or shin pads where there is a high risk of impact with another player, ground or any other piece of equipment. Ensure eye’s protection for games such as squash.

 

Use Products like Aircast Sport Stirrup Ankle Brace for prophylactic protection for chronic ankle instability and uninjured ankle. It has a narrower shell design for less bulk in a sneaker or shoe. Each shell is lined with the patented duplex aircell system. This exclusive system incorporates two pre-inflated overlapping aircells, digital and proximal, that provides support and protection during ambulation.

Bestseller products like Captain Patellar Tendon Strap are designed to provide compression on the patellar tendon to relieve discomfort and reduce inflammation. A small rubber cylinder, enclosed within a soft, non-slip surface molds to lower knee to provide comfortable compression under the knee providing patella stabilization.

 

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